Stuck
by Pickle Lily
Summary: Clark gets a new power and has to learn to control it. A humourous, I hope, short fic, written way back in 2004.
1. Chapter 1

**Stuck**

**By Pickle Lily**

**Rating:** PG-13

**Pairing:** None really (some Clark-Pete friendship)

**Spoilers:** Season two

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Smallville or any of it's charaters.

**A/N:** This was written in 2004, when season two was airing in the UK. I know it's a bit old, but I found it on my computer and I thought I'd post it up! Feedback much appreciated.

"Clark Kent,"

Jonathon Kent yelled as he hurried into the barn.

"How many times do I have to call you? I need a hand with the tractor."

"Daydreaming again" Jonathon muttered to himself, as he started to climb up to Clarks Fortress of Solitude. He paused at the top of the steps. Clark was nowhere to be seen.

"Where has that boy got to now?" he thought angrily.

"I know Dad, I heard you the first time," the voice interrupted his thoughts.

Jonathon turned, trying to locate the source of the voice, but with no success.

"Where are you?" he demanded, "And why didn't you answer?"

"I'm stuck," came the reply.

"Stuck where?"

"On the ceiling,"

"On the . . . what?" Jonathon spluttered

"The ceiling Dad," said Clark matter of factly, "You know the thing that's supposed to be above our heads. Look up."

Slowly Jonathon raised his gaze to the roof. There was Clark sat upside down, cross-legged on the ceiling. He gave a small wave.

"Hi Dad."

"What are you doing up there?" Jonathon asked stupidly, his mind whirring, still trying to comprehend the fact that Clark was sitting on the ceiling.

"Good question." Clark replied, as he stood up, so his face was now level with his fathers.

"I fell asleep on the couch, and when I woke up, I was … here. I can still do everything I could when I was the right way up." He proceeded to superspeed around the barn.

"I can even jump," he said giving a small demonstration, "I'm just stuck to the roof."

"Uh-huh," Jonathon nodded, "I'll get your mother, and then maybe we can try to figure out a way to get you down."

"Good idea"

Clark sat back down,

"Or back up," he laughed to himself.

Apart from the weirdness of it all, Clark was actually quite enjoying himself. It was peaceful up here and he had spied a corner of the barn he hadn't been into for years. He could see his old bike stashed between two crates

"Might get that old thing out again to see if it still works" he mused to himself.

Clark sighed and moved over to the window. He decided that the world looked strange upside down, as he watched his parents hurriedly crossing the yard.

"Clark," his mother called, as she entered the barn, "Your father's talking about you being stuck on the ceiling." She said disbelievingly.

Clark walked towards her,

"I am mum," he said noting with satisfaction the look of surprise that crossed her face.

"The floating has moved to a whole new level."

There was silence until Clark spoke again,

"Anyone got any ideas, coz I sure don't want to be stuck here forever."

"Well," started Jonathon slowly, "If you got up there on your own, maybe you'll just float back down on your own. You said you were asleep when it happened?"

Clark stare at him.

"Dad," he said incredulously, "I've already been up here an hour! What am I supposed to wait until I fall asleep again? It could be hours."

"He's right Jonathon," Martha interrupted before he could reply, "Clark, honey, I think you need to concentrate, just like with all your other powers. Close your eyes and think of coming back down."

"Alright I'll try." Clark sounded dubious.

He screwed his eyes shut, and a look on concentration settled on his face. To his parents amazement, Clark began to descend, before losing control and crash landing on the couch, which promptly gave way. He opened his eyes and grinned at them.

"At least I'm down," he muttered, before looking up sheepishly at his confused looking parents. Martha looked like she wanted to say something about the destruction of the couch, but after seeing Clarks' expression changed her mind.

"I guess that's another power you'll have to master son, we can't have you randomly floating to the ceiling." Jonathon said, clapping a hand on Clarks shoulder.

"Not sure this power's gonna be any use," he grumbled, "I definitely prefer things this way up."


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

For the next week after the infamous ceiling incident, as he liked to call it, Clark didn't leave the barn; he ate and slept out there. His parents were left fending off calls from his worried friends, making up excuses as to why he hasn't been hanging out with them.

"Good job it's the holidays," he grumbled to himself.

But he knew he was going to have to leave the barn soon, and to do that he needed to master his floating. There were a couple of close calls when he woke up a few feet above the couch, but he soon crashed back down. Sometimes a little bit too hard, he's already put his elbow through the floorboards. Other than that he hadn't actually got stuck again. The most worrying thing was that it had started to happen when he was awake. He didn't notice the first time, until his head gently knocked into the ceiling six foot above him.

Clark was distracted the sound of an engine. Gingerly he moved over to the window, he'd kept away from it for fear of floating out and up to god knows where.

Pete's bright red car was beetling up the drive. Clark watched as he got out and headed into the barn.

"Come on man, I know you're not ill,"

Clark smiled at the sound of his voice, it had only been a week, but he had missed his friends.

"I'm surprised you didn't call round earlier," he said playing the guilt trip.

"Awww man, I would have done, but I hooked up with this really hot chick, and I've been seeing her all week!" Pete was grinning from ear to ear.

"So you've not given a thought for your best buddy, stuck in his barn all week, with not even a gameboy to while away the time?"

"Stuck, what do you mean stuck? Nobody's stopping you from leaving the barn?" Pete was intrigued.

"Well technically no, but if I leave, I might end up anywhere," Clark said pointing upwards "Up there."

"Clark quit speaking riddles and tell me what's going on?"

"I've been floating."

"Floating?"

"Yeah, you know, hovering a couple of feet in the air."

"When?"

"Every time I wake up. It started last week; I got stuck on the ceiling."

"Stuck on the ceiling," Pete was trying hard not to laugh, but not succeeding.

"It's not funny I was up there for an hour"

"How did you get back down then?"

"Concentrated real hard on the ground."

"And that worked?"

"Well, yeah."

"Cool."

"It's not cool Pete, how am I supposed to go outside, if I don't know whether I'm gonna start floating?"

"Good point, I guess you'll have to learn to control it. You managed to control heat vision, and that was dodgy at times."

Clark sighed.

"I know, but honestly what good is floating?"

"You'd get a good view at a game?" Pete offered.

Clark grinned at him. He really had missed Pete's quirky sense of humour.

"Well," Pete said clapping his hands together, "Are you ready to start learning to float?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

"You're gonna help me then?"

"Of course, wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Thanks Pete." Clark gave his most dazzling Kent smile, "So, ummm, where do we start?"

"You said you managed to get back down when you were awake? So it stands to reason that you can get up when you're awake."

"Suppose so." Clark sounded nervous.

"So all you gotta do is think floaty thoughts. Think up."

"Pete I'm not sure this is a good idea. I don't wanna go back up. I might get stuck again."

"Clark you've gotta learn how to control this. Anyway what goes up must come down . . . eventually," Pete was grinning, "Go on man, give it a go."

"Okay, fine, I can do this, I can do this."

Clark closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. He opened one eye grinned at Pete and said,

"I feel like I ought to stretch out or something."

"Quit time wasting and get on with it."

Clark closed his eyes again and started to focus. Suddenly Clark shot up to the ceiling as if a giant magnet had sucked him there. He was pinned like a fly in a spider's web.

"Pete, help me."

But Pete was doubled over laughing.

"It's not funny."

"Yes it is, you look … you look like … oh god I don't know what you look like, but it's funny."

"Pete." Clark sounded annoyed now.

"Sorry man, I think you're nervous, so just relax and think about coming down."

Clark closed his eyes and immediately crashed down to earth, almost at superspeed. He got up leaving a very large, Clark shaped dent in the dirt floor of the barn. Slowly Clark dusted himself down, then looked Pete in the eye and said,

"I hate heights."

"I guess you'll have to get used to them. Anyway you've sort of mastered the up and down bit, you just need to learn control."

"That would be good."

"You've hovered before in your sleep."

"Yeah, so?"

"So hover now."

"What! I can't."

"Why not?"

"I dunno how."

"I'm no Chloe, but the way I see it is, it's all about what you're thinking about. Last time you just thought up, so up you went. This time think about hovering a couple of feet above the ground."

"If this is gonna be like the last time, I'm not gonna do it."

"Clark don't make me get the green rocks out."

Clark looked horrified."

"I'm joking." Pete added hastily.

Sighing, as if he'd been asked to clean out the entire barn without superspeed, Clark reluctantly closed his eyes yet again. Wobbling he slowly rose a few feet of the ground.

"Okay just try to stay there." Pete whispered.

"I'm trying." Clark mumbled, wavering in his precarious position.

He managed to hold it for a couple of seconds before slowly dropping to the ground.

"You did it man!" Pete laughed, clapping his hands together.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

Clark sat in the kitchen eating bacon and eggs. He had ventured out of the barn yesterday after Pete had left and hadn't floated off up into the blue beyond.

He decided he preferred to eat his breakfast in the kitchen. They had always been cold by time his mother had carried them to the barn during the last week. He had tried to warm them up the first time, using his heat vision, but they didn't quite taste the same. Maybe that was because he'd over done it, the bacon ended up char-grilled and the eggs were rubbery. He gave up, and the following days he ate them cold. Clark very quickly came to the conclusion that bacon and eggs tasted better straight from his mothers frying pan, so he ladled another portion onto his plate.

"Clark, that's your fourth helping," his mother reprimanded teasingly.

"I'm trying to weigh myself down, so I don't float off again." He replied cheekily.

"Speaking of floating," his father joined in the conversation, "I saw Pete come round yesterday, did you tell him?"

"Yeah," Clark replied around a mouthful of bacon, "He's trying to help my master it."

"That's great honey, how's it going?" asked Martha.

Clarks face lit up.

"I controlled it. Just once. The first time was a disaster."

"Well, just as long as my barn's still in one piece." said Jonathon jokily.

"We're gonna try again today."

"I take the barn's a no-go area then? We wouldn't want to get hurt!"

"Mom, I'm not that bad, if anyone's gonna get hurt it's me. I'm the one falling from the ceiling, and I have no idea what Pete's planning for me today.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Clark was already in the barn when Pete breezed in.

"Right, are you ready to rock and roll?" he drawled.

"Yeah, but can we find a softer landing. I may be invulnerable, but I still don't like landing on this floor."

"Clark," Pete laughed, "You're the only person I know who has broken a crash mat in gym class."

"That was an accident." Clark retorted.

"Anyway, I've been thinking."

"Not a good sign." Clark joked.

Pete gave him a withering look.

"I think you can fly."

"Fly! Pete, people don't fly."

"People don't stop bullets. People don't break the sound barrier. People don't bench press tractors. But you do Clark. You can defy gravity. You can fly."

Clark took a while to digest this information.

"Look Clark, air seems to support you, all you need to do is add movement, and voila you're flying."

"When I move I push against something solid, like the ground. I have nothing to push against when I'm hovering. I need some kind of propulsion."

"Run at superspeed then." Pete shrugged.

"Then Pete, I would look like a cartoon."

"I'm serious Clark."

"So am I."

"Then hear me out. Air supports you like the ground does."

"Well actually it feels more like water." Clark interrupted.

"Whatever, I think that's irrelevant. I mean I'm not brilliant at physics, that's your department, but you're already breaking the most basic law of physics. It's not what physics allows you do, because we've established that rules don't apply to you; it's what you can do, what you want to do. If you want to float you think about floating. So if you want to fly you think about flying."

"Sounds kinda plausible, but I've no idea how to start."

"Well, start hovering, and think about adding some movement. I don't mean just move your arms and legs; think about moving in a specific direction."

Clark walked to the centre of the barn; rolled his shoulders a few times, took a deep breath, and gracefully lifted off the ground.

"I can feel the air currents," he said excitedly, "I never noticed before."

"You're much more controlled than yesterday." Pete commented.

"I had a few practices after you left, and this morning."

Clark stretched his him out above his head and slowly began to rotate head over heels, his waist acting as a pivot and his arms and legs staying in the same position. Once he had completed a full 360° turn he touched down again, and was startled to hear applause. His parents were standing in the doorway.

"Where you watching?" he asked anxiously.

Jonathon could only nod, and Martha exclaimed,

"That was beautiful honey."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

Clark was practicing in the barn. He'd mastered control and could move round the barn in the air, he was even beginning to pick up some speed; that was until he lost control, as he usually did at some point, and crashed. He already had a backlog of repairs to be carried out. The roof had a number of holes in it, the walls were in bad need of repair and he had even crashed through the floor of his loft. His Dad had told to leave the repairs until he'd controlled his new power, but he had moved all his farm equipment out just to be on the safe side.

Chloe's Beetle was slowly making its way up the bumpy farm track that led to the Kent residence.

"Maybe it's us," Chloe was saying, "Maybe Clark just got bored of girls."

"Clark's a guy, and guys never get bored of girls," Lana replied, "Just look at Pete."

"Yeah, but Clark isn't exactly a typical male is he?"

"I suppose, but he should have showed up by now, and he hasn't even rang. Pete's seen him, so why haven't we?"

"Sometimes Pete and Clark are as thick as thieves, it's like they share some big secret, which we're not privy to."

"Chloe, don't go into investigative reporter mode now, we're here to see a friend, not follow up a story."

Chloe laughed, as she neatly parked next to the Kent's truck. They both got out and as Chloe was locking the car, they heard a loud yell, followed by an even louder crash, and then,

"Oh crap!"

Rushing into the barn Chloe and Lana were faced by a dirty and dishevelled Clark Kent lying in the middle of a pile of hay in the centre of the barn.

"Ummm . . . hi," He said looking up at them, "How are you?"

"That's what we were about to ask you." Chloe replied.

"I'm fine thanks."

"Clark," Lana interrupted, "You're lying in a pile of hay in the middle of the barn, and you look like you've been rolling around on the floor. What exactly are you doing?"

"Geez, what happened in here?" Chloe was gazing around the barn, at the holes that were pretty much everywhere, "It looks like a bomb went off."

Clark was stumped, he couldn't think of a believable excuse, and didn't think they would buy, 'learning to fly.'

"Just doing some chores."

"Yeah right." Chloe muttered under her breath.

"I heard that." Clark was indignant, _'why do they never believe my excuses,'_ he thought to himself.

"Clark, what was that loud crash? It must have been you who yelled." Lana asked.

Stumped again, he went for the old standby,

"I dunno."

This time it was Lana who muttered,

"Yeah right."

"So," Clark tried to change the subject, "What have you guys been up to?"

"We came to ask you the same thing." Chloe replied.

_'How do they always manage to change the subject back to me?'_ Clark thought crossly.

"Yeah, what have you been doing?" Lana added.

"Chores." Clark tried again hopefully.

"Clark," Chloe started forcefully, and she meant to go on.

_'Uh-Oh' _

"That won't wash with us," Chloe continued, "You've have avoided us for almost a fortnight, you haven't called, you haven't emailed, god even a letter by snail mail would have reached us by now,"

_'Not another Chloe rant.'_

"And don't say you've been ill, coz you're obviously not. And don't say you've been busy with chores, coz we found relaxing in a pile of hay. Not that I can think of why you'd want to be lying in a pile of hay, but each farm boy to their own. And don't say it's school work, coz I know you got it all done in the first week of the holidays. So back to the original question, why have you been avoiding us?"

They both looked at him with arms folded.

'Why do they always gang up on me?' Clark moaned to himself.

He took a deep breath, _'God, this is scarier than learning to fly.'_

"Okay, I haven't exactly been avoiding either of you, it's just …" He paused.

"Just what?" Lana demanded.

"I've been busy," he said, vaguely waving around the barn.

"Doing what?" Chloe wasn't impressed.

"Look, I am really sorry that I haven't been around, but something rather urgent came up, that I'd rather not go into, and I promise that I will call into the Talon tomorrow and buy you both extra large coffees. And I will try and be around more from now on."

"Is this gonna be like all your other promises?" Chloe challenged.

Clark looked hurt.

"Chloe!" Lana hissed.

"What? I'm just asking?"

Lana turned to Clark.

"Promise?" She asked.

"Absolutely!" He gave them his 1000 watt smile.

"Good." Lana looked satisfied.

She took Chloe's arm and marched out the barn, but not before Chloe muttered,

"Stupid Kent charm."

**Part 7**

After Chloe and Lana had left; Clark continued to improve his flying technique. After two hours of practicing he definitely had managed to lower his crash rate, and had even managed to fly the whole way around the barn with no mishaps. With that accomplished Clark decided to make a start on the repairs on the barn. He grabbed his Dads toolbox, some spare planks of wood, and proceeded to superspeed his way round the holes in the wall and floor that he could reach. He was just reaching for a stepladder the more out of reach holes, when he had second thoughts, instead he snatched up a toolbelt, and loaded his hammer and nails into it.

"Right, I can do this."

Taking hold of a plank of wood, he floated up into the rafters. On reaching the top, he changed his position so he was lying under the Clark sized hole in the roof. Slowly and carefully, so as not to disturb his balance, he nailed the plank in place. Grinning he descended to the floor.

Looking round he saw the holes he'd boarded up earlier at superspeed, then he looked up. Suddenly he took off faster than the eye could see. The rest of the barn took him thirty seconds to mend.

Glancing out the window, Clark noticed that the sun was beginning to set. He leant against the window gazing out of the beautiful sight. Darkness had almost settled and he was feeling restless.

Smiling to himself, he leapt into the sky and hurtled towards the dying sun, at a breakneck speed.

Clarks soared for hours; he glided over Smallville, Metropolis and much further afield, looking down the lives below. Then he headed up, through the cloud line and into the stars beyond. From this height he could see so many stars he hadn't noticed before. No-one on this earth had ever seen this amazing view that was before him. Clark almost wished he had a camera, but that would mean he would have to share it. Clark stayed stock-still for an hour, just taking in the sight.

Eventually he descended back down to earth, and touched back down just outside the porch. Softly he tried to creep into the house.

"Ah-hem," Someone cleared their throat.

Clark glanced around to find his parents staring at him, with cross expressions on their faces.

"Where have you been?" His father demanded.

"Clark, do you know it's three o'clock in the morning?" Martha asked.

Clark glanced at his watch, genuinely surprised.

"I didn't know." He mumbled.

"Where have you been?" His father repeated.

Looking at them, he grinned,

"Flying."

**The End!**


End file.
